The latest community news and updates from the Atlanta Braves

February 2013

On Valentine’s Day we had our first Braves Care program of 2013! We loaded up with hats, tomahawks, chocolates, and autographed baseballs and headed over to A.G. Rhodes Health & Rehab Center. We then spent the afternoon playing Bingo & socializing with the residents. The ladies were all very impressed by the gentlemen we brought over from the office and admitted that they were a little flustered in the presence of such “handsome young men!”

One of our handsome gentlemen playing Bingo

We handed out autographed baseballs to the winners of each Bingo game, obviously the Jason Heyward and Brian McCann autographs received the biggest reaction, but the biggest crowd pleasers were definitely the tomahawks. The residents played around with them like children, pretending to chop at each other and then breaking into the chant we’re so used to hearing at Turner Field.

The Atlanta Braves Foundation has been supporting community organizations and programs in Metro Atlanta and surrounding areas since 1992. The efforts of the Braves Foundation range from in-kind donations to the 50/50 raffle to the Grant Program. The numerous activities of the Foundation have generated over $5 million in financial and in-kind assistance to our community.

Experience Atlanta Braves batting practice first hand!

One of the activities of the Braves Foundation is our Online Auction. Each month, we feature Braves items including autographed paraphernalia and VIP Experiences. Our first auction for the year is now up and running through Friday March 1st at 8:00pm. Visit http://braves.auction.mlb.com/ to bid on a Batting Practice VIP Field Visit, Autographed Jason Heyward jersey, Autographed Chipper Jones Bat and Ball set, and many more items! Thanks for your support of the Atlanta Braves Foundation.

The Atlanta Braves launched the 2013 Braves Country Caravan by traveling to various locations in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama. Throughout this two week trip, the Braves players, coaches, alumni, broadcasters and staff made several community outreach stops along the way.

Two stops were special visits to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and to the University of Alabama’s Children’s Hospital in Birmingham. Braves players had an opportunity to play games and spend time with many of the children. The smiles on the faces of those kids spoke volumes to the impact that the Braves organization has on the southeast region of our country, better known as BRAVES COUNTRY!

Our stop at Clay National Guard, located at Dobbins Air Force Base, served as a special Braves send off for units preparing to deploy to Afghanistan. The team toured the joint operations center and saw how the National Guard helps respond to disasters in the Southeast, and then they made their way to the drill hall to greet a larger audience of soldiers and their families. The team was greeted by the 116th Army Guard Band playing the Braves chop and Take Me Out to the Ballgame, followed by a Q&A session, autographs and pictures.

To further demonstrate our gratitude to service men and women, we visited the Charlie Norwood Veterans Affairs Hospital in Augusta, Georgia. After signing autographs, Freddie Freeman, Tyler Pastornicky, and JR Graham took on the challenge of the mountain climbing wall. This really gave everyone a greater appreciation for the rehabilitation efforts of the veterans at this hospital.

Next, the Braves family visited students at the DeKalb PATH Academy here in Atlanta and at Liberty High School in Liberty, SC. At the DeKalb PATH Academy, Hall of Famer Don Sutton and Bill Nigut, CEO of the Anti Defamtion League led the discussion on bullying. Don Sutton, Fredi Gonzalez, Brian Snitker, Freddie Freeman, and Tyler Pastornicky added their signatures to a “No Place for Hate” Resolution by placing their handprints and signatures on the gymnasium wall. At Liberty High School, we had the pleasure of speaking with local middle and high school baseball and softball players. The students were excited to hear from Terry Pendleton, Chip Carey, Brandon Beachy, and Sean Gilmartin and wanted to know more about life in the big leagues, influential people in their lives and what they would have done if they were not baseball players.

One of the most interactive and rewarding stops on the Caravan was our visit to Atlanta’s City of Refuge, an organization that provides resources and assistance to those who are less fortunate. Jason Heyward, Dan Uggla, Brian McCann, Paul Yanish, Reed Johnson, and Cory Gearrin spent time with the pre-schoolers then put their skills to work in the kitchen as they helped prepare and serve lunch to the residents. The Tomahawk Team even joined in by serving beverages and dessert!

The 2013 Braves Country Caravan was huge a success! The southeast always has been and always will be … BRAVES COUNTRY!!!!

We have a great deal of exciting events and programs planned for this season, and can’t wait to provide our fans with a behind-the-scenes look at the Braves Foundation and our work in the community! Keep an eye out this month for tales from the 2013 Braves Country Caravan Community Stops including visits to the Clay National Guard Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, and more!

We will also have a monthly update on our Braves Care program. For those of you new to the Braves Give Blog, Braves Care program is an employee volunteer initiative that allows us to support both our community and our charitable partners. It allows our staff to get out in the community and make a difference.

We’re really excited about what is to come this year, and hope you will subscribe and keep up with us! Don’t forget to follow the Braves on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram too!

The following are trademarks or service marks of Major League Baseball entities and may be used only with permission of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. or the relevant Major League Baseball entity: Major League, Major League Baseball, MLB, the silhouetted batter logo, World Series, National League, American League, Division Series, League Championship Series, All-Star Game, and the names, nicknames, logos, uniform designs, color combinations, and slogans designating the Major League Baseball clubs and entities, and their respective mascots, events and exhibitions.